Box cap



Aug. 14, 1951 A. L. DICKSON, JR

BOX CAP Filed June 14, 1949 FIG.

INVENTOR. ARCH/E L. DIG/(SON, Jfi

A THE/V575 Patented Aug. 14, 1951 UNITED STATES" PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a box cap and more particularly to areplaceable and removable cap or closure member for cardboard boxes andthe like.

It is an object of this invention to provide a box top for cardboardboxes or the like for closing the box when the covers or top walls havebeen torn or severed therefrom. At the present time certain advertisingmedia is printed on the top walls of cardboard containers of householdmaterial as breakfast cereal, baking powder, soap and other materialswith the intent being that the purchaser shall remove the cover andreturn it to the manufacturer as a premium or the like. By severing thetop from the containers the material within is subject to be spilled ordried and therefore it is a principal object of this invention toprovide a box cap for closing such boxes after the tops have beenremoved and may be used on other boxes when the contents of the firstbox have been exhausted.

Another object of this invention is to provide a box cap of the kind tobe more particularly described hereinafter which may be made of metal,plastic or other suitable material to fit on cardboard boxes with thetop removed to preserve the freshness of the contents, protect thecontents from dirt, bugs and the like and provide a handy method ofdispensing the contents when and as desired.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in thearrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in thedrawings and specification and then more particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

In the drawings:

7 Figure l is a top plan view of a box cap, constructed according to anembodiment of this invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the box cap secured on a cardboard box,the cardboard box being shown partly broken away and artly in section.

Figure 3 is a transverse section, taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a transverse section, taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a transverse section, taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a transverse section, taken on the line 66 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral HI designates generally aremovable box cap or cover,

severed from the box and returned to the manufacturer as a premium orthe like, the box cap I0 is formed for engagement over the upper openend of the box II after the top wall has been removed therefrom.

The box cap I6 is formed with a horizontal top Wall 12 having a materialdischarge opening M at one end thereof. By forming the opening Madjacent one end of the top wall l2, a substantial rim or peripheraledge is provided about the aperture or opening M for engagement over theextreme upper edges of the side and end walls of the container or boxII. The rim or edge 15 is disposed in the same horizontal plane as themajor portion of the top wall l2 and a U-shaped guide channel or guidemember I 6 is fixed on the edge l5 about the opening I 4. The channel [6is substantially L -shaped in configuration, having a verticallyextending arm I! and a horizontally extending arm l8, spaced upwardlyover the plane of the upper surface it, for receiving thereunder theslidable closure member or door IS. The guide channel It is secured tothe rim or edge l5, transversely thereof at one end of the top wall I0and extends partway along the length of the side edges of the top walll2, as clearly shown in Figures l and 2 of the drawings. The transverseportion of the guide channel l6 including the vertical arm I! and thehorizontal arm !8 are continued about the side edges of the opening l4and the guide channel is open on the opposite end, from the transverseportion at one end of the wall l2 for slidably receiving thereunder thecover or door IS.

The door I9 is slidably engaged under the side channel member l6 andslidable over the major portion of the top wall !2 adjacent the guidechannel terminal ends. An upwardly extending lug 20 is fixed to orformed integral with one end of the door [9 forming a handle or fingergrip to effect the sliding movement of the door and an upwardlyextending stop means or element 2| is fixed on the top wall l2, adjacentthe end opposite from the opening 14 for limiting the sliding movementof the door 29 to the open position. The upwardly extending arm ll ofthe transverse guide member H5, at the other end of the top wall l2constitutes another stop element for limiting the sliding movement ofthe door I9 to the closed position, the horizontal bar I8.of thetransverse guide channel It overlying the extreme end of the door IS inits aperture closing position, as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 3 ofthe drawings.

A depending outer Wall 24 is fixedto or formed integral with one end ofthe top wall l2 and a similar depending end wall 25 is fixed to theother end of the top wall. The outer walls 24 and 25 are connectedtogether by longitudinally extending outer side walls 26 and 2 The topWall l2, end walls 25 and 25, and side walls 26 and 2'! form a firstcasing having one end closed and the other end open. The outer end andside walls are adapted to be engaged in sliding engagement with the.outer surface of the side and end walls of the cardboard icontainer II,as clearly shown in Figure 3 of the drawings.

An inner end wall 28 is fixed to or formed integral with the top wallI2, adjacent one end thereof, spaced inwardly from the outer end wall 24and a similar end wall 29 is fixed to the opposite end of the top wallI2 inwardly of the-outer end wall 25. The inner end walls=28-and;29--are connected together by longitudinally extending sidewalls 30 and 3| which depend fromt'he-top wall I2 and are spacedinwardly from the respective outer side wallsi 2.6iand 2 I. The endwalls 28 'andlz'e and side walls -3Dand 3| form asecon'd casing havingboth ends'o'pen. .The sidetand= end walls of the box or container II areadaptedto be telescopically received in the space between the inner andouter walls of the cap'IIl,'as clearly shown in Figure 3 of thedrawings.

For securely clamping'the cardboard-walls f the box l'I 'within'the capIB, inwardly extending, resilient, tangs or clamping elements '32 arestruck inwardly from "the outer side "walls '26 and 21, spaced apartalong the length thereof. In the ncrmalposition of .the clampingelements or tangsfSZ, the upper'edges ofthe tangs are biased intoclamping engagement with the inner side walls 30 andSI, 'as clearlyshown in Fig ure S4 of the-drawings. When the-side walls of thecardboard 'box II are received between the inner and outer walls of thecap it, the inwardly biased tangs 32 will bear against the outer surfaceof the cardboard walls of the box II for pressing the walls of the boxinto clamping engagement with the inner walls of the cap H].

For reinforcing the inner side walls dilandii! against the tension ofthespring pressed clamping elementsl32, a triangular bracing web 34 isfixed'between the lower surface of the top wall I2 and the insidesurface of the inner wall '30, intermediate the length thereof. Asimilartriangular reinforcing web I'35'iS 'fixed on the other side of thetopwall I2, depending therefrom and in engagement with the inside surfaceof the other innerside wallBLas clearly shown in Figure 5 of thedrawings. The reinforcing webs 34 'and 35 stabilize the inner side walls30 and SI when the side walls of the container II are pressed inwardlyagainst the outer surface of the inner side walls Siland 3i by thespring pressed clamping elements 32.

In the use and operation of the removable box cap Ill, when the top wallhas been removed from the cardboard box'll, the box cap I0 is slidablyengaged on the box II by the telescopic'engagement of the side and endwalls of the box I! between the inner and outer side and-end walls ofthe cap I6. The clamping elements 32, of the outer side walls 25 and 21clampingly engage the side walls of the cardboard box against the innerwalls 30 and '3I of the cap I'D. The closure member 20 will normally bein its closed position, as clearly shown in'Figure 3 of the drawings,and for dispensing the material from the container or box II the closuremember 20 may be slidably moved out of engagement with the transverseguide channel I6 and outwardly through the longitudinally extending sideguide channels I6 for engaging the other end of the door I9 with thestop element 2|, whereupon the opening I4 is opened for dispensing thematerial from the container II. With-the closure mem- 4 her 20 in itsclosed position, the material within the box I I is tightly or sealinglycontained within the box II so that the material is held free from thedeteriorating effectscf moisture, dirt, insectsor other materialwhich-is-normally excluded from the contents of such containers.

I do not mean to confine myself to the exact details of constructionherein disclosed, but claim all variations falling within the purview ofthe appended claims.

What is claimed is:

.1. :A removable box cap for an open topped box comprising a firstcasing closed at one end and open at the other end, the casing beingadapted to be arranged so that its open end embraces the opentoppedboxand is supported *on'the :open topped box by'its closed 'endthereofga second casing open at both=endsipositioned-within-said firstcasing and having one of its open ends dependingly secured to the undersurface of *the closed end of saidfirst casing/said second casing'beingspaced from said first casing to thereby form a space therebetween forreceiving theportionof the'wall of-said box adjacent its opentop, theclosed end in said firstcasingbeing-provided with a longitudinallyextending opening adjacent one end thereof, a closure member arrangedover said opening in said closed end and mountedron said closed end forsliding movementtowar'dan'd away from said opening, and a pluralityofresilient tongs projecting inwardly from "said first casingintermediate its closed andopen ends and engageable with the portion-ofthe wallzofsaid box when the latter is positionedwithinthespaceintermediate said first and I second casings.

2. A removable box cap for an open topped box comprising a first casingclosed-atoneendand open at the other end, the casing'being adapted to bearranged so that its-open-end embrace the open topped box-and issupported on the-open topped box by its 'closed end thereof, a secondcasingopen at both ends positioned within said first casing and havingone of its open:ends.de pendingly secured to the under surface of theclosed end of said first casing, said secondcasing being spaced fromsaid first casing to thereby form a space therebetween forreceivingtheportion of the wall of saidbox adjacentits open top, theclosed end-insaidfirstcasing beingprovided witha longitudinallyextending opening adjacent one end thereof, a closure member arrangedover said opening in said closed .end .and mounted on said closed .endfor. slidingmovementtoward and away from said opening, stop meansprojecting from the. upper .face ofrthe closed end of said first casing.adj acent .to and spaced from the other end thereof for limiting thesliding movement of said closure member away from said opening, and aplurality of resilient tongs projecting inwardly from said first casingintermediate its closed and open .endsand engageable with'the portiono'flthe wall of said box when the latter is positioned within theIspaceintermediate said first and second casings.

.ARCI-IIE L. .DICKSON, JR.

REFERENCES 'CITED The following references are of record inthe file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 'Burgener Eeb. -11, '1936

